Another Full Day Spent in a Swimming Suit

Fruit bats or flying foxes hanging out.

Pretty coral and yellow fish

Beautiful giant soft shelled clam - 5 or 6 feet long.

Since my scheduled snorkeling trip was cancelled my friend and I set up another one via the "Reef Jet."  The "Reef Jet" was about $100 where most of the other trips are $250 or more.  This trip did not include a pick up from our hotel and did not include lunch.  We could easily walk to the marina in 15 minutes and buy a heckuva great lunch and still come out ahead.  The reef jet did not sail out to the inner reef but jetted there in 15 minutes.  More time to swim.  And the chairs were much more comfortable.  But this was not a luxury cruise.  Our captain was the sole staff but he had a great sense of humor.  As we left we played music from the movie, Titanic.  Coming in from our swim he played the ominous shark music from Jaws.  We donned our blue stinger suits and hung onto our hats as we zipped out of the Port Douglas harbor to Low Island again.  We weren't allowed to go on Low Island on this budget trip but I don't mind jumping out of the boat.  It keeps the sand out of the stinger suits.  I just can't describe how great snorkeling is.  As soon as I put my mask in the water I am mesmerized by what I see.  It's better than swimming in a giant fish tank.  I puttered about in the water admiring the coral, the giant soft shelled clams and the fish.  I saw a hawks bill turtle pulling itself along in the water with it's front legs.  I joined him (or her, I don't know).  I followed my turtle and I don't think I disturbed it because it continued to swim at a slow pace.  When it came up for a sip of air I backed off to give it room.  I think the life of a turtle looks pretty great.  For some reason my mask would not hold a seal and I kept having to flip onto my back and lift up the bottom of the mask to drain the water out.  I was having such a good time that I tried to delay emptying the mask but once the water collects to the level of my eyeballs it's time to take care of business. The fish were so beautiful and graceful.  Even I feel graceful and beautiful when I am snorkeling.  I try to join the schools of fish.  I can swim ahead quickly with my fins or I can just float there in the surf and see where the water takes me.  After our snorkeling adventure we wanted to grab some lunch.  The weather was very hot.  I had my swim suit on and I put my travel skirt on top.  I was too hot to wear my long sleeved shirt.  My travel skirt has quick dry fabric and was very useful on this trip.  The only problem was I got the skirt a size too big.  As I walked the skirt would travel clockwise around my waist.  The zipper that is supposed to be on my back would be on my left hip, in front, on the right hip, and back to the correct position again.  I walked around the marina and downtown wearing only my sandals, swimsuit and travel skirt.  At home I wouldn't go out to the mailbox with such skimpy clothing but here it seemed appropriate.  It was about 2 o'clock.  We spent a half hour picking out which restaurant we wanted.  They stopped serving at 2.  Most places stop serving at 2 and won't open again for dinner until 6.  We were hungry after our swim.  We decided to stop at the grocery store. I offered to cook. We had spinach cheese tortellini and raspberry pie for lunch.  It was delicious.  I went swimming again in the evening.  As I swam circles in the swimming pool I saw the water change.  I suspected I was loosing my mind until I realized the colored lights had come on in red, blue, green, purple, and gray.  I saw a new bird land in the palm tree.  I floated on my back and watched it and tried to memorize it markings so I could look it up in my bird book.  It turned out to be a singing honey eater. As dusk fell I saw quite a few larger brown birds fly by.  I later learned those were fruit bats.